Electric heater.



W. H. FULTON.

ELECTRIC HEATER. APPLLOATION FILED AUG. 2G, 190B. HBNBWBD FEB. 2o, 1014.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

WILLIAM H. FULTON, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC HEATER.

Specieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

Application lerlTAugust 26, 1908, Serial No. 450,337. Renewed February 20, 1914. Serial No. 820,049.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. FULTON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Electric Heaters: and' l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertafinsfto make and usethe same.

' My' invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in electric car heaters, and is designed to furnish a construction and arrangement of parts wherein -thej heater may he readily assembled and disassembled, adjusted as to its capacity to radiate heat for any given section of its length, which is of moderate initial cost of construction and which cannot be readily tampered with or disarranged bv malicious or careless persons.

lar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, 'a indicates a suitable metal pipe which may conveniently be of wrought or cast-iron and of any suitable length, provided at its ends with terminal caps as b, which may be screwthreaded thereon, as shown. The cap yb is provided with a. screw-threaded inwardly liu-ojccting nipple c for connecting the 4,heater to the conduit in which thejline conductor or conductors are conveyed and is likewise provided with a counter-sunk cover-plate d screw-threaded into a corresponding recess and removable therefrom so as to afford access to the interior. The cap is likewise provided with a flange or ledge e against which is adapted to rest the hollow porcelain plug or support f for carrying the terminal or binding post of the heating conductor. Y

rl`he binding post plug f is provided with a square recess g for the reception of the similarly squaredhead h of a screw-threaded pin z' which projects upwardlv through the longitudinal hollow center j of the plu and the aperture k communicating therewit 1. A. thin nut l engages the thread on the pin i and is adapted to draw the head h into close contact with the inner wall of the recess g,

and, upon this nut rest the two washers n,

which, through the intermediacy of the pressure and lock nuts m are adapted to firmly clamp between them the incoming wire from the conduit and the outgoing wire p leading into the main body of the heater.

The main body portion of the heater is occupied by a series of similar sections 1', of porcelain, the initial section bearing against the head s of the binding post plug, as shown. At this end, each section is provided with an enlarged nrecess t terminating at a shoulder against which fits thespacing piece comprising an insertible and removable porcelain disk o having a radial slot fw. Beyond the washer e, each section 1 is perforated longitudinally, as shown at :v to its opposite end, which is of reducedV diameter and projects into the next succeeding end recess t.

It will be apparent that by inserting a series of the individual sections T in the tube a, a orcelain lined conduit-of corresponding ength may be made, the extent of the conduit depending upon the will ofV the constructor.

The functlon of the disks 'v is as follows: Interposed in the length of the coils z of the resistance wire, these disks permit the coil of the resistance wire to be stretched out as desired so as to establish in any particular porcelain section 1' end to end the length of wire that may be desix-ed tobe located in that individual section. The disks 'u` furthermore sustain the spring stress exerted by the coilsof the resistance wire in -the individual sections, thereby correspondingly relieving the wire in any individual section Afrom excess of tension, and permitting,- in each section, such distension or contraction of the coils as Ymay be suited to their individual intended heating etects, and, furthermore, not only taking ott the tension from the binding, posts, but permitting the wire to have a farr degree of flexibility at the ends of the heater, which is found convenient to its ready manipulation in connecting it up with the binding osts.

Y In assembling t e parts, the binding post plug f is first inserted inthe end plece b, the sections r, together with thel disks u and the resistance wire are inserted in the sections of the lining are separated. If it metal pipe a, and the pipe is screwed into the end piece b. The. connection to the binding post is then established by unscrew-y ing the cover cap d, as is also the connection to the line wire, it being understood, of course, that the pipe itself may be suit-y ably' grounded. Before inserting the sections 1' and the washers 'v in the pipe a, the

coils of the resistance wire are distended or` drawn apart in the several individual sections 1- until a sufficient length of Wire 1s obtained in each of said sections corre quirements of use, and without calling upon` the services of one possessed of more than the usual amountof skill.

It is characteristic of my invention thatI the coils of the` nakedv resistance wire, being in contact with the walls 0f the porcelain sections r, and th'e sectlons themselves being in contact with the walls of the'pipe' a, the heat of the resistance wire is transmitted by conduction to the pi Moreover, the facilities ralorded for ocating in any individual section the exact length of wire that is desired for obtaining the heat effect required at such section,l permit the appropriate distribution of the heat throughout the heater .tov suit therequirements of,l

different points along its len h, and, inasmuch as the 'heater is inde itely extensible, it can be made of the entire length of the car, or can branched or duplicated for any particular car, as circumstances may suggest or dictate. Furthermore, by virtue of the fact that the lining is made in sections and is separate from the radiating pipe, 'and of the fact that the current-carrylng wire is in itself extensible, the hear as awhoie is not in'uriously affected by the different amounts o expansion, under variations in temperature, of its indviduai parts, lont, on the contrary, these individual parts may reeiy expand Without injur this connection it will be noted that t -e sections of the iining have a ioose t within radiating pipe and that the projection of reduced diameter at one end oleach section r Eats iooseiy within the recess t of the l next section and terminates short of by reason ci the expansion et the parts, the

'were not for these projections the path of leakage would bc measured by the distance from the conductor to the wall of the radiating pipe, whereas, with these projections the length of that path is very much increased, as will be understood.

Having thus described my invention,.what l claim is 1. Anelectric heater having an outer radiating pipe, a plurality of sections of 1in ing of electricallyinsulating and heat transmitting material arrangedend to end within the pipe, and an inner current-carrying conductor within the lining; substantially as described.

2. An electric heater having an outer radiating pipe, a plurality of sections of lining of electrically insulating and heat translmitting'material arranged end to end within the pipe, and an inner current-carrying conductor within the lining, said currentcarrying conductor consisting of naked coiled wire; substantially as described.

3. electric heater having an outer radiating'pipe, a lining ot' electrically insulating and heat-transmitting material, an inner current-carrying conductor within the lining, a terminal plug carrying a binding post anda protecting end-piece minal; substantially as described.

4. An electric heater having an outer radiating pipe, a.v lining therefor made up in sections, s acing pieces for the several sections, an a current-carrying conductor r said ter- 'made up of .coils or convolutions engaged by the spacing pieces, whereby the length ci'V conductor in any individual section of thc lining may be varied by appropriatelydistending the convolutions therein; substantially as described.

5. An electric heater having an outer radiating pipe, 'a lining therefor made up in sections of eiectricaiiy insulating and heattransmitting material, said sections being recessed at one end and having a hoilow interior bore of less diameter than the recess, siotted disks bearing agi-inst the ledges con'- stituting the bottoms of the recesses, and a current-carrying conductor made up of coils or convolutions, said conductor being ass heater iis-.ving outer raf g pipe, a g of eiectrically insulatand heat-transmitting material, said f g being made up in sections, a currenting conductor passingl through the lin- 7. An electric heater, having an outer radiating pifpe, a lining therefor made up of a series o sections of porcelain recessed at one end and having a longitudinal bore of yless diameter than the recess, slotted disks located in the several recesses, a coiled current-carrying conductor passing through the several sections and disks, a terminal plug carrying a binding post, and a protecting cap or cover for the plug; substantially as described.

8. An electric heater having an outer radiating pipe, a lining of electrically insulating and heattransmitting material in contact with the pipe, a current-carrying conductor passing through the lining, a terminal plug carrying a binding post, said terminal plug forming a continuation of the lining, and a protecting cap for the terminal-plug; substantially as described.

9. An electric heater having an outer radiating pipe, a lining of electrically insulating and heat-transmitting material in contact with the pipe, a current-carrying conductor passing through the lining, a terminal plug carrying a binding post, said terminal plug forming a continuation of the lining, and a protecting cap for the terminal plug, said protecting cap being provided with a ledge against which rests a flange of the terminal plug; substantially as described.

10. In an electric heater, a terminal plug consisting of electrically insulating material, said plug having a central bore, a.bind ing post located Within the plug and extendl ing laterally through a recess or aperture which communicates with the central bore, and a protecting cap for the plug; substantially as described.

11.. In an electric heater, a terminal plug consisting of insulating material, said plug having a central bore, a bindin post located Within the plug and extending laterally through a recess or aperture which communicates with the central bore, and a protecting cap for the plug, said protecting cap having a removable cover late so that access may be obtained to the binding post; substantially as described.

12. An electric heater having an outer ra diating pipe, a lining of electrically insu lating and heat-transmitting material made up in sections, each section having a reduced end which fits into a corresponding recess in the end of the next section, and an inner current-carrying conductor in contact with the lining; substantially as described.

13, An electric heater having an outer radiating pipe, a lining of electrlcally insulating and heat-transmitting material made up in sections fitting loosely Within the pipe, each section having at one end a portion of reduced diameter which its loosely Within a corresponding recess in the end of the next section, and an inner current-carrying conductor in contact with the lining; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. FULTON.

Witnesses:

FRANK HENNEssY, L. B. PENFIELD. 

